Interpretation of the Pearl of Great Price; Matthew 13:45-46

Scribe · Jul 5, 2020

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46) Who, when he had found one pearl of great price , went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

What do you think is the interpretation of this parable? Is it that God is the merchant man and we are the pearl and God gave his Son to purchase our redemption, or is it we are the merchant man and when we recognize the value of the Kingdom of God (Jesus and all that he did for us and offers us) that we will depart from everything that we use to hold dear to gain Christ which is far better than anything this world has to offer?

Most commentaries give the last interpretation but I have heard both presented. What do you think Jesus intended his disciples (and us) to understand?

Truth7t7 · Jul 5, 2020

Scribe said:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46) Who, when he had found one pearl of great price , went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

What do you think is the interpretation of this parable? Is it that God is the merchant man and we are the pearl and God gave his Son to purchase our redemption, or is it we are the merchant man and when we recognize the value of the Kingdom of God (Jesus and all that he did for us and offers us) that we will depart from everything that we use to hold dear to gain Christ which is far better than anything this world has to offer?

Most commentaries give the last interpretation but I have heard both presented. What do you think Jesus intended his disciples (and us) to understand?

The Last Interpretation

oldethennew · Jul 5, 2020

LUKE 18:22.
Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, Yet lack you one thing:
sell all that you have, and distribute unto the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven:
and come, follow Me.
the idea of 'selling all that one has', is also mentioned with the young ruler who was seeking
to find out from The Master what he had to do to inherit 'eternal-life'...

the two scriptures are connected: one is 'willing to give-up everything of this world, (46)
and the other refuses...(22)

as it is written:
MATT. 6:24.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else
he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

compare; Ananias and Sapphira...

DorothyMae · Jul 5, 2020

Scribe said:

Where is the idea that we are the Pearl of great Price is in the scripture? This does Appeal to the ego and narcissistic Generation we have become though. Makes one feel really good about oneself. The scriptures that tell us that we can be justly called poor, blind and naked are rendered useless.

God did not sell everything in any case. But the disciples did.

Nehemiah6 · Jul 5, 2020

Scribe said:

Actually it is Christ who is the merchant man, while the Church is the pearl of great price. He gave His all when He offered Himself as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. The Bible says that God the Son has purchased the Church with His own blood (Acts 20:28)

This interpreation is backed up by another Scripture: And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (Malachi 3:17)

Truth7t7 · Jul 5, 2020

Nehemiah6 said:

Jesus Christ is God Almighty, He Seeks (Nothing)!

The parable of the pearl of great price is nothing more than the pearl representing the kingdom of heaven.

The merchant represents the "seeking soul" that finds the Pearl of Great Price, that is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Pearl Of Great Price = The Kingdom Of Heaven

Matthew 13:45-46KJV
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

TheDivineWatermark · Jul 5, 2020

I agree with the ones saying "the man" is Jesus Christ (to be consistent in interpreting the entire passage), and "the pearl of great price" is the Church which is His body ['ONE' (entity)] of which the passage says "and BOUGHT it"... ("ye were BOUGHT with a price" 1Cor6:20, 7:23, and "the redemption of the PURCHASED-POSSESSION" Eph1:14)

...whereas the previous verse [v.44] about the "treasure having been hidden in the field" pertains to Israel (Ex19:5; and the second part of Mal3:17's two parts), and says of that, "...and BUYETH that field"

TheDivineWatermark · Jul 5, 2020

Truth7t7 said:

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that having been lost." Luke 19:10

Truth7t7 · Jul 5, 2020

TheDivineWatermark said:

Rephrase: Christ isn't a merchant "Man" seeking a pearl of great price as was claimed.

Jesus Christ is God Almighty, and didn't project himself as a "Merchant" or "Man"

TheDivineWatermark · Jul 5, 2020

Truth7t7 said:

I get it.

You do not believe Jesus came as A MAN.

You do not believe Jesus is "the Son of man" (as a Man) in this verse.

And you do not believe the following verse refers to Jesus (because it uses the word "MAN" to tell of him):

"because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through/in A MAN [G435 - andri] whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:31

Got it. You do not believe THAT ^ (in bold) refers to Jesus.

Fine, believe what you wish.

Truth7t7 · Jul 5, 2020

TheDivineWatermark said:

Stop bending and twisting my claim

Jesus Christ wasn't a "Merchant Man" seeking the Pearl of great price in the parable, Jesus Christ had no earthly possessions to sell and buy anything, he is God, simple!

TheDivineWatermark · Jul 5, 2020

Truth7t7 said:

I don't suppose Jesus didn't "project himself" as a king's "son" either, right?

Matthew 22 -

1 And answering, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man, a king, who made a wedding feast for his son. 3 And he sent his servants to call those having been invited to the wedding feast—and they were not willing to come.
4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Say to those having been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and the fatlings have been killed, and all things are ready; come to the wedding feast.”’
5 And having paid no attention they went away, one to the own field, and one to his business. 6 And the rest, having laid hold of his servants, mistreated and killed them.
7 And the king was angry/WROTH, and having sent his armies, he destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

Nothing to see here...

but then again, "parables" have been given for this purpose, He had said:

"And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest, it is in parables, so that, 'Seeing, they may not see; and hearing, they may not understand.'" - Jesus, in Luke 8:10

Truth7t7 · Jul 5, 2020

TheDivineWatermark said:

I don't suppose Jesus didn't "project himself" as a king's "son" either, right?

Matthew 22 -

1 And answering, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man, a king, who made a wedding feast for his son. 3 And he sent his servants to call those having been invited to the wedding feast—and they were not willing to come.
4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Say to those having been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and the fatlings have been killed, and all things are ready; come to the wedding feast.”’
5 And having paid no attention they went away, one to the own field, and one to his business. 6 And the rest, having laid hold of his servants, mistreated and killed them.
7 And the king was angry/WROTH, and having sent his armies, he destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

Nothing to see here...

but then again, "parables" have been given for this purpose, He had said:

"And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest, it is in parables, so that, 'Seeing, they may not see; and hearing, they may not understand.'" - Jesus, in Luke 8:10

Stop bending and twisting my claim

Jesus Christ wasn't a "Merchant Man" seeking the Pearl of great price in the parable, Jesus Christ had no earthly possessions to sell and buy anything, he is God, simple!

TheDivineWatermark · Jul 5, 2020

Truth7t7 said:

Who said it was "earthly possessions" being spoken of?

"6 Who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider to be equal with God something to be grasped [G725],
7 but emptied Himself,
having taken the form of a servant,
having been made in the likeness of men.
8 And having been found in appearance as a man
He humbled Himself,
having become obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross." - Philippians 2:6-8

TheDivineWatermark · Jul 5, 2020

TheDivineWatermark said:

Ooops... meant to say "I suppose Jesus didn't..."

That's what I get for changing thought/expression MID-STREAM, but forgetting to go back and erase the first part... LOL

[ It's more than just new

that I need! lol]

TheDivineWatermark · Jul 5, 2020

..."and BOUGHT it"... ("ye were BOUGHT with a price" 1Cor6:20, 7:23, and "the redemption of the PURCHASED-POSSESSION" Eph1:14)...

Nothing "to buy"... hmm...

believe as you wish.

TheDivineWatermark · Jul 5, 2020

Nehemiah6 said:

Excellent verse you've pointed out.

The word for "has purchased [verb]" is G4046.

The related word "G4047 [noun]" is the word found in the verse I pointed out, Eph1:14 "the purchased-possession [G4047 - noun]";

..."noun," hence, 'preservation; preservation for one's self; acquisition; the thing acquired, or a possession'

oldethennew · Jul 5, 2020

Truth7t7 said:

==========================================
Christ had already 'given-up' His heavenly position, but the merchant-man gave UP EVERY THING that he owned,
which is, another way of saying, that he forsook all of his 'worldly-connections for,
'That Pearl of Great Price, which was, 'Eternal-Life in The Kingdom of Heaven'...

TheDivineWatermark · Jul 5, 2020

^ I believe the phrase "the kingdom OF THE heavenS" relates to the promised and prophesied earthly Millennial Kingdom (which will commence upon His "RETURN" to the earth [see again Acts 3:21's "UNTIL"])...

... but your post brought to mind also the passage in Dan9:26a (which different versions translate a phrase in this verse in slightly differing ways):

Berean Study Bible
Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. [...]

New American Standard Bible
"Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, [...]

New King James Version
“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; [...]

King James Bible
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: [...]

note: the 69 Weeks [total] were completed on Palm Sunday, the very day He DID the Zech9:9 thing, and SAID the Lk19:41-44 thing (both verses about "the city/Jerusalem" which is the Subject of the Dan9:24-27 prophecy).

[again, this is only until the "UNTIL" of Acts 3:21

]

TheDivineWatermark · Jul 5, 2020

Acts 3:21 - "whom indeed it behooves heaven to receive until the times of restoration of all things of which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from the age." [i.e. OT prophets and prophecies, many of which pertain to the promised and prophesied EARTHLY Millennial Kingdom age, see

('the throne of His glory,' etc etc)]

Interpretation of the Pearl of Great Price; Matthew 13:45-46

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